Ments



May 14, 1929. w. w. LECK APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING METALLIC ARTICLES Fi1ed June 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet N I N v By @8421 x mm May 14, 1929. w w, LECK 1,713,136

APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING METALLIC ARTICLES Filed June 7, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 By 62% & m akw A TTIOR/VE' Y5 Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STA'ES earner oFFICE.

WALTER W. LECK, 0F WEBSTER GROVES,

MENTS, T0 SCULLIN AWARE.

MISSOURI, ASSIGNGR, 'MESINE ASSIGN- STEEL 00., OF ST. LQUIELS, MISSOURI, A CORPGRATION 0F DEII" APPARATUS FOR HEAT TREATING METALLIC ARTICLES.

Application filed June 7,1926. Serial No. 114,059.

This invention relates to apparatus or the kind that are used to heattreat metallic articles.

lhe main object of the invention is to provide a practicable apparatus by which a sucker rod, tie rod or other long metallic member of relatively small. cross-sectional area, can be heated and then quenched without liability of the rod being bent or buckled out of shape at the completion oi the quenching operation.

Another object is to provide an apparatus in which relatively long rods and similar articles can be heat treated rapidly and in such a way as to insure substantially straight articles that are tempered substantially uni tornily throughout their entire length. Other objects and desirable features of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

I have herein illustrated my invention embodied in an apparatus that is intended. to be used for practising the method described in my pending; application for patent Serial No. 115,729, filed June 14, 1926, and which is designed for use in the heat, treatment of sucker rods of the kind that are used to operate deep well pumps. I wish it to be understood, however, that the apparatus herein described can be used ior quenching various kinds of hot, metal articles and that various changes can be made-in the construction of the apparatus without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The complete apparatus comprises any suitable means for heating a rod or other article of relatively great lengthand small cross-sectional area, a quenching bath composed oli oil or any other suitable quenching liquid, and a means by which the heated rods can be immersed in the quenching bath and held under longitudinal tension during the quenching operation. Preferably, tle apparatus is constructed so as to stretch or exert an endwise pullon each red at the coinplction of the heating operation so as to remove any kinks or bends in the rod before it is quenched, and the means that is used to imnnuse the rods in the quenching l: th is so constructed that it will. cause all portions of each. rod to be submerged simultaneously and to be withdrawn from the quenching bath simultaneously, thereby insuring each rod being tempered substantially uniformly throughout its entire length.

Fig. I is a top View of an apparatus enibodying the features of this invention, some of the parts being in section taken approximately on the line I--I in Fig. II.

Fig. II is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus.

Fig. H1 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line III III in Fig. II.

Fig. lV an enlarged. section, partly in elevation, showing one of the bearings which support the rotary carrier. I

Fig. V is an enlarged top plan viewshowing a portion of one of the tensioningmemhers and a portion of a sucker rod to be held thereby.

' Fig. VI is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view of one of the tensioningnieinbers taken approximately on the line VL-Vl. in Fig. V.

Fig. VII is a diagrammatical view illus trating a means that can be used for actuating the tensioning members.

1 designates a quenching receptacle adaptedto contain a quenching liquid, preferably oil, as shown in Fig. III. The articles be quenched are held under longitudinal tension in a rotary carrier supported partly by end frames 2 and partly by a top frame 3 located over the quenching receptacle and connected to the end frames. These frames may be built of commercial beams and plates, as suggested in the drawings. 7

The rotary carrier comprises a long horizontal shattl located over the quenching receptacle and supported partly by bearings 5 in the end "frames and partly by bearings 6 hanging from the top frame, as shown in H and IV. To illustrate a suitable tensioning device I have shown a pair of lovers A pivotally mounted on trunnions 7 carried by the shaft 4:. shown by Figs. 1, H and Ill, the shaft 4 is provided with a pair of collars 8, and each collar is provided with a pair of the trunnions 7. Each collar 8 rota swith the shaft and it may be made Of two sect-i ns bolted togetherand keyed to the shaft, as shown in Fig. III. It is therefore unnecessary to pass the collars over an end or? the shaft in assembling the structure. For the same reason, each lever may be. made of two sections which contact with each other at the line 9 which extends lengthwise of the lever, as shown in Figs. Ill and VI. These two sections of the lever are suitably conuected'together by means of bolts, or the like, as shown in the drawings.

Each lever A com )rises a pair of arms extending in opposite t irections from the shaft 4, as shown in Fig. I, and the outer end of each arm is adapted to receive an end portion of the article to be treated. As an illustration of an article to be treated, I have shown a sucker rod B in Figs. I, V and VI, said rod having integral enlargements including collars 10 at its ends To hold the sucker rods and maintain them under tension during the quenching operation, each end of each lever A is provided with a holder 11 (Figs. I, III, V and VI) having an extension 12 whereby it is pivotally' connected to the lever. Each holder 11 has a recess 13 in its outer face for the reception of the sucker rod B, and as shown in Fig. V, each of these holders has an abutment face 14 adapted to engage one of the collars 10 on the sucker rod. In Fig. V the abutment 14 is shown spaced away from the collar 10, but the lever A is adapted to be moved to force the abutment into firm engagementwith the collar, so as to exert an cndwise ull on the rod of sufficient force to remove liinks or bends in the rod and also to hold the rod under a slight longitudinal tension.

To provide for the delivery of hot sucker rods to the holders 11, an inlet runway 15 is located at one side of the quenching receptacle 1, as shown in Figs. I and III. This runway is a stationary inclined plate mounted on stationary brackets 16. Immediately before the rods are delivered to the runway 15 they are supported on a tiltable plate 17 I and III) having an upwardly extending flange 18 at its outer edge. Brackets 19, extending from the bottom of the plate 17, are fixed to a shaft 20 mounted in the stationary members 16 and provided with operating handles 21 whereby the plate 17 can be tilted to drop the rods onto the inclined runwa 15.

In Fig. I, 22 designates portion of the furnace in which the rods are heated. Any suitable heating means .may be employed to heat the rods, preferably while they are free of tension, and after being heated the rods are moved endwise, as suggested by an arrow in Fig. I, from the furnace to the tiltablc plate 17 atthe top of runway 15. After leaving the bottom of the runway, the rods enter the recesses 13 (Fig. III) in the holders 11. At this time the holders 11 are separated from the abutment collars 10 on the hot sucker rod B, and the levers A are then moved as will be hereafter described to force said holders into engagement with said collars.

The collars 10 at opposite ends of the sucker red are thus subjected to pressure tending to force them away from each other, and this action places the rod under sufiicient longi tudinal tension to remove any kinks or bends in same, at the same time frictionally securing it to the levers so as to eliminate the necessity of using clamping jaws or the like to secure the rod to the rotary carrier.

The shaft 4 is then operated to carry the rod downwardly in the quenching liquid at one side of the receptacle 1, and then upwardly at the opposite side. The shaft is turned half of a revolution to carry the rod from the receiving position suggested by the recess 13 at the left of Fig. III to the discharge position suggested by the recess 13 at the right of Fig. III. It will be noted that the recess 13 at the bottom of runway 15 is open at the top to receive the rod, but the holder 11 is inverted in making half of a revolution, so the recess 13 at the right in Fig. III is open at the bottom to discharge the rod.

In the illustration given by the drawings (Fig. I), the levers A have arms located adjacent to the runway 15, and these arms are moved away from each other to exertan endwise pull on the rod and hold it under tension. \Vhen this occurs the other arms of the levers A move toward each other to release the rod that has been subjected to the quenching operation, and the recesses 13 are so formed at opposite sides of the levers that the released rod will drop from the levers and fall onto a discharge runway which may consist of several inclined members 23 (Figs. I and III). These members 23 are pivotally supported at 24 and they have free upper end portions which extend into the path of the quenched rod. As the rod moves upwardly above the quenching liquid, it will engage and tilt the members 23 so as to pass them and permit them to return by gravity to positions directly below the rod. Therefore, when the rod is released, it will fall onto the members 23 and roll downwardly on their inclined faces.

The rotary shaft 4: is provided with an intermediate support 25 (Figs. I and II) comprising a pair of arms extending from the shaft to serve as a support for the flexible hot rods before they are placed under tension.

The means for rotating the shaft 4 (Figs. I and II) may include a gear wheel 26 fixed to the shaft and a driving pinion 27 meshing with said gear wheel. This gearing may be operated by any suitable mechanism to intermittently drive the shaft, with intervals of rest at the end of each half of a revolution to provide for the admission of a hot rod and the discharge of a quenched rod.

At least one of the tensioi'ling members is moved to tension the hot rod and to release the quenched rod. To illustrate a suitable means for operating the tensioning levers, I have shown a pair of cylinders 28 fixed to the shaft 4 so as to rotate therewith. Each cylinder 28 contains a piston 29 (Fig. VII) provided with a piston rod 30 pivotally connected to one of the lovers A. The means for conducting air, or other fluid, to and from the cylinders 28 shown diagrammatically in Fig. VII. It comprises a supply pipe 31 whereby air under pressure is conducted to a four-way valve 32, and an exhaust pipe 33 extending from said valve. lVhen the rotary valve member 34; is positioned as shown in F ig. VII, air under pressure is admitted to a stationary pipe 35 which extends through a stuffing box 36 at one end of the shaft. This end of the shaft is provided with a longitudinal bore 37 forminga passageway which leads from the pipe 35 to a pipe 88 extending from said passageway to a shorter conductor 39, the latter being connected to one of the cylinders 28. The pipe 38 has an extension 38 leading to one end of the other cylinder 28.

When the valve member 3 1- is positioned as shown in Fig. Vlli, air under {pressure is conducted through the pipes ust described to place the rod B under tension, the lever arms holding this rod being forced away from each other, while the other arms of the tcnsioning levers are forced toward each other. During this operation air is exhausted from the cylinders through the medium of a pipe 40 extending from one of the cylinders 28 to a. longitudinal bore 41 in one end of the shaft. The pipe 40 is providedv with a branch 42 connected to the other cylinder.

l3 designates a stationary pipe connected to the housing of the four-way valve and extending tl'irough a stufiing box 44; so as to conununicate with the longitudinal bore 41.

lVhen the valve n'ren'iber 34 is positioned as shown in Fig. VII, the pipe 35 contains air under prcssure,a11d both of the pistons 29 are forced to the left. It will be readily understood that the valve member 34; can be moved to conduct the air pressure through the pipe 413 and to cause the pipe 35 to serve as an exhaust pipe. In this event, the pistons 29 will be forced to the right for the p urpose of releasing one rod B and tensioning another red. After the valve 34 has been adjust-ed to thedesired position, it is retained in that position while the shaft 4 makes half of a revolution, thereby causing one rod to be stretched endwise and held under longitudinal tension before it enters the quench- I of this long shaft, and the pipe elements 88 and 40extend through these bearings, as

shown in Figs. 11 and IV. To provide for this condition, collars 4.5 (Figs. 11 and IV) are fixed to the shaft 4-, and the pipes 38 and -10 extend through these collars. The collars rotate with the shaft and they are mounted in the bearings 6.

The operations will be briefly described as follows: I e

The red may be heated while free of tension in a suitable furnace 22 (Fig. I) and then moved to the tilting plate 17 above the inlet runway 15. When the tensioning members are positioned as shown in Fig. 111, the hot r d is dropped onto the runway and into the recesses 18 in the holders 11 near the lower edge of the runway. The rod is in a horizontal position and it is rather flexible, but the intermediate supporting arm 25 (Fig. l) prevents sagging of the middle portion of the rod. The rod is then subjected to an cndwise pull and while it is under longitudinal tension, in a horizontal position, substantially parallel to the surface of the quenching bath, it is immersed in said bath, moved through the same and then Withdrawn from the bath, thereby producing a substanp ered substantially uniformly throughout its entire length.

I claim:

1. In heat-treating apparatus, a quenching receptacle adapted to contain a quenching liquid, a rotary carrier provided with tensioning arms movable into and out of the quenching liquid, said arms being adapted to hold the ends of the article to be treated, operating means whereby one of said arms is moved away from the other to place the article under longitudinal tension, and means whereby said carrier is rotated to carry the tensioned article into and out of the quenching liquid.

2. in an apparatus for quenching long metallic articles, a quenching receptacle, a pair of supporting ll'ltll'l jJfilS adapted to hold the ends of the articles to be quenched, means whereby said supporting members are lllOV6 l in an arcuate path from a receiving position to a discharge position so as to carry the articles through the quenching bath, said supporting members being inverted in passing from one of said positions to the other, each of said me1nhers having a recess open at the top when the mcn'iber lies in its receiving position and open at the bottom when in the discharge position, and the recesses being adrqited to receive the article to be quenched.

3. In an aruparatus for quenching long metallic articles, quenching receptacle, a pair of tensioning arms adapted to hold the ends of the article to be quenched, means cooperating with said. arms to maintain the article under tension during the quenching operation, means whercbylsaid arms are simultaneously moved in an arcuate path from a receiving position to a discharge position, so as to carry the tensioned article through the quenching bath, each of said arms having a recess open at the top when the arm lies in its receiving posi 'on and open at the bottom in the discharge position, and the recesses being adapted to receive the articles to be quenched.

4. In an apparatus for quenching long metallic articles, a quenching rec tacle adapted to contain the quenching liquid, a rotary carrier including tensioning members whereby the article is held during the quenching operation, said tensioning members being movable from a receiving position near one side of the receptacle to a discharge position near the other side, and te -J' cans cooperating with said tensmniup' rs toretain the article under tension while said tensioning members move from one of said po, itions to the other.

In an apparai as tor (preaching lo tallic articles, a quenching receptacle ada 'ite-d to contain the quenching liquid, a rotary carrier including tensioning members i'vhereby the article is held during e quencl'iing operation, said tensioning members 'ng movable from a receiving position near one side of'the receptacle to a discharge position near the other side, and tensioning means cooperating with said tensioniug members to retain the article under tension while s id tensioning members move itroi'n one of positions to the other, rich oi said tensioning members being provided *ith a recess to receive the article to be quenched, and sa d recess being open at the top when the t ioning member occupies its receiving position and open at the bottom when the member occupies its discharge position.

6. In an apparatus for quenching long metalli articles, a quenching receptacle adapted to contain a. quenchin liquid a rotary carrier including two pairs of tensiening inembers to hold the articles during the quenching operation, one pair oi? tlze tensiouing members being located in a receiving pof ion when the other pa r lies in a discharge posi tion, and tensioninp; means cooperating with said members to retain the artic under longitudinal tension while said members move from the receiving position to the (lischarge position.

7. In an 'appaaetus for quenching loi metallic articles. a quenching receptac adapted to contain a quenching liquid. :1 ro tary carrier including two pa rs of tensioning members to hold the articles during the quenching operation, one pair of the tensioning men'ibers being located. in a receiving position when the other pair lies in a dischar in o I7, 5 position, and tensioning means co-opcrat1ng with said members to retain the articles under tension while said members move trom the receiving position to the discharge position, said tensioning means including an operating device whereby the article at the receiving position is tensioned while the article at the discharge position is released.

8. In an apparatus for quenching long metallic articles, a quenching receptacle adapted to contain a quenching liquid, a rotary carrier includim two pairs of tensioning members to hold the articles during the quenching operation, one pair of the tensioning members being located in a receiving position when the other pair lies in a discharge position, and tensioning means 00- opcrating with said members to retain the articles under longitudinal tension while said members move from the receiving position to the discharge position, said tensioning means including a member whereby a tensioning member at the receiving position and a tensioning member at the discharge position are simultaneously moved in opposite directions to tension one article and release the other.

5). In an apparatus for quenching long metallic articles, a quenching receptacle adapted to contain a quenching liquid, a rotary carrier including two pairs of tensioning members to hold the articles during the qienching operation, one pair of the tensioniug members being located in a receiving position when the other pair lies in a discharge position, a member of one pair being comumted to a member of the other pair and the connection being pivotally supported to permit the last. mentioned members to move in opl'iositc directions, and means for moving said connected members so as to tension the article at the receiving position and release the article at the discharge position.

10. In an apparatus for quenching hot sucker rods having enlarged end portions, tcnsioning members adapted to lie between and adjacent to said enlarged end portions, 1: ad means whereby said tensioning members are caused to cooperate with said enlarged end portions to hold the sucker rod under tension during the quenching operation.

11. In an apparatus for quenching hot sucker rods having il'itegral enlargements at their end portions, a pair of tensioning members having recesses to receive the rods and abutments to engage said cnlargcnients, and means whereby one of said tensioning memhers is forced away from the other to hold. the sucker rod under tension during the quenchmg operation.

12. in an apparatus for quenching hot SHCl-Ii reds having integral enlargements at thei e portions, a pair of tensioning members having recesses to receive the rods and abutments to engage said enlargements, means whereby one of said tensioning members is forced away from the other to hold the sucker rod under tension during the quenching operation, and means whereby metallic articles, a. rotary carrier ad carry toe articles through the ipiei'ichi and a support to receive the charged from said carrier, "i sup' ort heinn' movable into and out o the con articles in so id carrier so as to occupy tion directly below the articles to he discharged.

15. In an apparatus tor quenching el gated metallic articles, rtary ng members adapted to carry the art icles through the quenching bath, and a i e support a-di'ipted to receive the or else p 1;; trom said rotary members, said tunable support being extended into the path of are articles carriedby sai d rotary niienibers and adaptoil to tilt as the articles pass the extended portion.

16. in an apparatus for quenching long metallic articles, a rotary carrier adapted carry the articles through the quenching bath, a support including a bearing; in which a portion of the carrier is rotatably mounted, tensioning means including members carried by the carrier to hold the articles under tension during the quenching operation, and means for transmitting power to said members, the last mentioned means including piston and. cylinder carried by said carrier and a corn ductor whereby fluid under pressure is transmitted to said cylinder.

17. In an apparatus for quenchinghot rods, a quenching receptacle having an inlet run-- way at one side and discharge runway at the other, a horizontal shaft rotatably niiounted over said receptacle, a pair of tensioning levers pivotally conneced to said shalt, each lever comprising a pair of arms extending in opposite directions from said shatt, the outer end of each arm being provided with a recess open at the top when the arm lies adjacent said inlet runway and open at the bot tom when the arm lies adjacent said discharge runway, the recesses being adapted receive the hot rods passing from said inlet runway and to discharge the rods onto said discharge runway, said discharge runway heinp; ex-

means whereby the shaft is rotated to carry the tensioned rods from said inlet runway to said discharge runway.

18, n apparatus for heat-treating rods and 'inile articles, comprising a bath oi. quen g liquid, and .i'nechanism for immersi np; all portions of a heated article in said be -h simultaneously and holding said article ,r hingitudinal tension during the (illQllCll 331g operation.

it), i

apparatus for heat-treating rods and sinilar articles, comprising a bath oi. qucnchino liquid, and mechanism for subjecta h ed article to an endwise pull and subntierging all portions of said eously in the quenching bath and maintainin sai d article under longitudinal tension whileiit is submerged.

20. ine iar :us forheat-treatingrodsand siu'iilur an s, comprising a bath o1 quenchliq l( a hie/ans to]: holding a heated artirlennzler sli 'ht long. idinal tension, paral-. lel to the surjijace of said bath, and means for introducing); said article into the bath, cause it to remain therein for a while, and thereafter emerge "from the bath.

apparatus for heat-treating rods ilar articles, comprising a bath of quenching liquid, a carrier having provision for holding a heated article, means for sub jccting' the article in said ca 'rier to an endwise p ull and holding said article under long tiiidinal tension, and means for actuating said carrier to cause all portions of: the article therein to he introduced into the hath siinuli aeously, moved through the bath and then withdrawn from the bath.

vided with members disposed so as to receive and hold a heated rod substantially parallel to the sur ace of said bath, means for actuation; the carrier to cause said rod to travel through, the, bath, the said members of the carrier having provision for receiving another outed rod alter the quenched rod is with drmvn from the bath, and means for ofiteetiu the discha of the quenched rod and siniultrneous causing the heated rod to be illlCCl and heldauider longitudinal tension I said inen'ibers.

l'n testimony that I claim the foregoing l he eunto a'ihi: my signature.

WALTER W. LECK. 

